Menai Bridge Tigers ready for David v Goliath Welsh Cup test as Aberystwyth Town come calling

Menai Bridge Tigers have promotion in their sights, but first comes a Welsh Cup occasion they intend to enjoy, embrace and test themselves in.

The pitch, the familiar surroundings, the local faces around the place, and, on this occasion, a Cymru South side coming to town with the favourites tag firmly attached.

Menai Bridge Tigers are preparing to welcome Aberystwyth Town with all the earmarks of an absolute classic cup tie.

While the league remains the big priority for a Tigers side with ambitions of climbing another rung of the Welsh football ladder, nobody is pretending this is just another Saturday.

Tigers missed out on promotion by seven points last season. They have responded by strengthening their squad and have made a flying start this time around, scoring an extraordinary 48 goals in their first six league matches.

The sensible approach is that the Welsh Cup is a bonus. A pressure-free afternoon. A chance to measure progress against a team operating at a higher level.

Menai’s manager admits he has not had the chance to watch much of Aberystwyth because of the fixture congestion, although their recent form has certainly caught his eye.

“Yeah, obviously, huge, huge tie for the club. A tie that we’re looking forward to in terms of the occasion,” he says.

“I haven’t been able to get down and watch any games just because we’ve had so many games on recently. But expecting a really tough tie.

“Seeing that result, a 3-2 win which puts them second in the league, it’s going to be a difficult afternoon for us.

“But with the form that we’re in right now, and being the home side, we’re confident we can have a good game, push them as far as possible, and maybe cause the upset.”

Aberystwyth arrive with their own ambitions, sitting second in the Cymru South following that 3-2 victory over Caerphilly Athletic and with aspirations of returning to the Cymru Premier.

There is a belief inside the Menai camp that Treborth can make this uncomfortable.

“It would have been nice to have a later kick-off to capitalise on the crowd,” he says. “But we tend not to get too caught up in the teams coming.

“At home we’ve got a good record at Treborth. We love that ground, and anybody that comes there, we just look to get it down and play our football.

“It’s an occasion that we’re going to enjoy. The pressure’s off us. We’re not expected to win,” comes the message.

“We’re looking to have a good game, play our football, do the best we can on the day, and see where that takes us.

“We’re confident. We’ve got some experience in this team, some lads who have been around that standard, so we’ll lean on them a little bit.

“But we’re not going to shirk the challenge. We’re looking forward to the occasion big time.”

Menai have experience to lean on

One of the biggest additions has been Tomos Clarke.

The former Bangor City 1876 captain arrives with a very recent taste of success, having led Bangor to that memorable treble last season.

He has wasted little time making an impression at his new club either, already picking up Menai’s layer of the Month award.

“We’ve been lucky to get Tomos in. He’s a phenomenal talent,” says the manager.

“He was Bangor’s captain last year when they won that memorable treble and was a huge player for them. He’s hit the ground running for us, just won our Player of the Month and been absolutely exceptional.”

Then there is Mel McGuinness, the prolific Ynys Môn forward, while Jon Littlemore brings experience from his time with Cardiff Met in the Cymru Premier. Those are precisely the sort of players who could prove valuable when the pressure rises.

A leader in the dressing room, McGuinness has previously managed Glantraeth and Trearddur Bay, giving him an understanding of the game from both sides of the touchline.

“I’m sure he’s come up against these sides in the past and has experience of this cup competition,” says the manager. He’s been deep in it before, so it’s a huge asset to have, especially on games like this.”

“Mel is a great player to have in the dressing room. He’s been fantastic for us so far, hit the ground running and been a leader,” comes the assessment.

“Great lad to have around. He’s had a stint as manager at Glantraeth and Trearddur Bay, so it’s just a great person to have in the changing room.”

Familiar face comes home

There is also a particularly nice subplot in Danny Brookwell’s return.

Brookwell came through the Menai Bridge youth set-up and played a key role in the Anglesey League treble during the early days after the club reformed.

He subsequently went on to play for Caernarfon Town, Llandudno and Porthmadog.

Now he’s back where it began.

“Danny started his adult career with us. He came through our youth set-up and was instrumental in us winning an Anglesey League treble in the early days after we reformed,” says the manager.

“He went on to achieve great things at Caernarfon, Llandudno and Porthmadog. I’ve stayed in touch with him and we’ve been looking to bring him back for a number of years.

“The timing wasn’t always right, but it all aligned this summer. It’s great to have him back involved, he’s been huge for us so far this season, and it’s a familiar club to him.”

No pressure, just opportunity

The beauty of the Welsh Cup for Menai Bridge is that nobody is expecting them to win. That can be liberating.

“At times it’s a nice distraction. The pressure is really on in those league games, and in this cup competition there are no expectations on us, so you can go into the game with more enjoyment and less pressure,” says the manager.

“At times you can play your best football that way, but you’ve also got to find that balance so you don’t get caught out by the bigger teams.”

Menai want promotion. They want to keep closing the gap on the bigger clubs. This match offers a glimpse of the level they ultimately want to reach.

“Look, I guess yes and no. In football, anything can happen on the day,” he says when considering whether this really is a David versus Goliath tie.

“Aberystwyth are going to come here and be the favourites, no doubt about that. They’re in good form, second in the league, and I’m sure their aspiration is to get back to the Welsh Prem.

“For us, we’re just looking to improve. Our goal is to try and attain promotion this year and get closer to those bigger teams.

“It’s a good test for us; we can show how far we’ve come and where we’re at in terms of our development.”

Could there be a late twist? The manager has already got one possible fairytale in mind.

“To be honest, right now I’d take a one-nil 90th-minute winner from Danny Brookwell and snap your hand off,” he laughs.

“But I try not to get into stuff like that.

“On the day we’ll be prepared as best we can. We’ll show them the respect they deserve, but we’re also going to look to play our football.

“We’re not just going to sit back and soak up the pressure; we’ll try and go toe-to-toe with them as best we can.

“Just looking forward to the occasion.”